Toe-dog



C. A. BABCOCK.

TOE DOG.

' APPLICATION FILED MAR. 16. 1917.

1,319,684. Patented Oct. 28,1919.

lNL/ENTUR CHARLES A. BAIBCOCK, 0F LYNN, MASSACHUSETTS.

TOE-DOG.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 28, 1919.

Application filed March 16. 1917. Serial No. 155,367.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES A. BABCOGK, citizen of the United States, residin at Lynn, in the county of Essex and tate of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Toe-Dogs, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to toe dogs used to hold the model or pattern in the lathe during the process of making or turning shoe lasts, and has for its objects to provide a device to prevent the splitting of blocks from which the lasts are turned, net the resulting saving of the operators time and the waste of material to the manufacturer, abolish the danger from flying blocks, which often result in injury to operators and surrounding property, reduce to a minimum the repair expense for broken and disabled machinery and thus provide a continuous efficiency of equipment, make possible the use of small size dogs and avoid the need of many increasing sizes made essential by the tendency of blocks to split when turning narrow toe lasts, reduce the size of the knob left at the toe of the last as it comes from the lathe and thus reduce the cost of necessary hand labor required to finish the lasts, insure uniformity of machine made toe portions in lieu of hand made guess work, abolish the mutilation and injury by toe dogs to models at their toe portion and the resulting loss of models in stick measurements, and eliminate the tendency to spring in the lathe evidenced by some forms of toe dogs, especially noticeable in producing fine work such as narrow toes.

I accomplish the objects of my invention as shown in the accompanying drawing by what might be called a drop toe device, which places the axis on which the model turns below the end of the toe so as to give the knob on the last as it comes from the lathe a direction downward from the sole portion of the last, thus insuring in the last and block from which it is made, a continuous grain in the wood from the toe to the heel portion, avoiding the running out of the grain back of the upper part of the toe portion, which often develops into a split ting off of the toe portion, while the block is in process of turning. By the use of my lmproved dog I avoid this splitting, and attain the results enumerated.

Referring to the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 shows a side view of my improved hollow cylindrical dog, having a specially shaped end, Fig. 2 shows the shaped end view Which grips the toe portion of the model, Fig. 3 shows the knob at the toe of the last as it comes from the lathe, Fig. 4 shows the last with the bottom of the knob shaved off, Fig. 5 shows a longitudinal V61- tical section of the toe-dog applied to the toe of a model, and Fig. 6 shows a similar section to Fig. 5 without the model.

In Fig. 1 A shows the flattened lip shaped to fit upon the sole portion of the model, B shows the semi-circular gripping edge under which the toe of the model fits and is gripped. The dog is hollow to inclosc the toe of the model (see Fig. 5), so that when the model is locked endwise, no pressure is placed thereon and therefore no mutilation is made at the end of the toe portion. The dog is centered at a' point below where the extreme end of the toe of the model is held. In gripping the model as described the block from which the last is turned finds its axis, as it turns in the lathe, below its toe portion, at the line of the grain which extends throughout the last to the heel as indicated by the line C-D in Fig. 3. This placing of the toe above the axis of the dog locates the major portion of the knob, left upon the last as it comes from the-lathe, below the toe portion and gives the knob a downward direction from said toe portion. Thus the toe is mostly shaped upon the lathe, rather than having the greater portion of the knob on the toe and later shaping by hand. Fig. 4 shows the relatively perfected toe portion of the last with but a small portion of the knob thereon, after the bottom of the last has been shaved off through the downwardly inclined knob. This it will be noted is accomplished, without additional work on the part of the machine or operator, by placing the machine work where it is of use and value. It is thus by the use of my improved dog that I reduce the amount of I ters Patent of the United hand labor required, and secure uniformity of model and product.

The flattened lip A of the dog which engages the sole of the model adjacent the toe, is inclined to a degree relative to the horizontal axis of the dog and the through grain of the model, as to cause the knob on the toe of the last, which is patterned from the dog, to extend slightly downward from the sole, so that when the sole of the last is planed off through the knob, only a small portion of the knob is left on the toe, as shown clearly in Fig. 4 of the drawing. Thisinc'lined lip is also extended above the axis ofthe dog, which allows of the extreme end of the model to be placed above the axis. The dog being hollow back of the semi-circular holding edge or flange B, co-

operates to'allow the extreme end of the toe of the model to be positioned above the axis of the dog, so that the axls of the dog can 'come in alinement with the through grain of the model and in a plane below the extreme end of the toe. This prevents splitting as above set forth. It will thus be seen, as shown in Fig. 5, that the toe portion of the model is supported in the lathe by the dog which engages the toe back of the extreme end thereof, said extreme end extending into the hollow of the dog back of the semi-circular gripping or holding edge. The semi circular gripping edge is continuous and straight from one side of the dog to the other which avoids mutilation of the toe of the model. 4

I am aware that this changing of axis has been heretofore attempted by what has been known to the trade as the under toe dog, but the method has heretofore been unsatisfactory because of the tendency of said dog to spring in the lathe, thus causing a variation between model and product. This has been especially so in the production of fine Work such as narrow toe and high heel shapes. The use of my improved dog avoids all this and assures uniformity of model and product. By placing all strain upon the grain of the block, rather than upon the cross grain, I abolish block splitting heretofore so bothersome and dangerous to operators and expensive to manufacturers. Under present day methods the tendency of the blocks to split has been avoided by using a larger size dog, which in turn has left a larger size knob at the toe of the last and accordingly requires more hand work in finishing. And hand work in addition to being expensive insures less uniformity of model and product.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Let- States is:

1. A toe-dog for the purpose described, having a hollow end constructed to receive and support the extreme toe end of a shoelast model above the horizontal axis of the toe-dog.

2. A toe-dog for the purpose described having a hollow end constructed to receive and surround the extreme toe end of a shoelast model above the horizontal axis of the toe-dog.

3. A toe-dog for the purpose described, comprising a cylindrical body-portion having a hollow end constructed to receive and surround the extreme toe end of a shoe-last model above the horizontal axis of the toedo f. A toe-dog for the purpose described, comprising a body-portion having a hollow end provided with a semi-circular flange constructed to receive and encircle the extreme toe end of a shoe-last model above the horizontal axis of the toe-dog.

5. A toe-dogfor the purpose described, comprising a body-portion having a hollow end formed with means for engaging around the sides of the toe of a shoe-last model behind its extreme toe end and above the horizontal axis of the toe-dog.

6. A toe-dog for the purpose described, comprising a body-portion having a hollow end adapted to receive the toe end of a shoelast model, said hollow end being formed with a semi-circular flange adapted to engage and support said model behind its extreme toe end and above the horizontal axis of the toe-dog and with the extreme end of the toe free from engagement with the. inner sides of the dog.

7. A toe-dog for the purpose described, comprising a body-portion having a hollow end formed with an inclined lip adapted to engage the sole portion of a shoe last model adjacent its toe end, said inclined lip being extended above the horizontal axis of the toe-dog, and a gripping means formed at the top side of the dog above the inclined lip adapted to engage the top side of the model.

8. A toe-dog for the purpose described, comprising a body-portion having a hollow end formed with an inclined lip adapted to engage the sole portion of a shoe-last model adjacent its toe end, said inclined lip being extended above the horizontal axis of the toe-dog, and a semi-circular gripping flange formed at the top side of the dog adapted to engage the top side of the model.

9. A toe-dog, comprising means for supporting the extreme toe end of a shoe last model above the horizontal axis of the toedog, and also means for engaging the upper side of the model adjacent the toe end to support the dog on the toe of the model.

10. A toe-dog, comprising an inclined lip for engaging and supporting the sole side of the toe end of a shoe last model, and also means for engaging the upper side of the In testimony whereof I aflix my signature toe, said lip being so inclined relative to the 111 presence of two Witnesses.

axis of the dog, as to cause the knob on the CHARLES A. BABCOCK. unfinished lest produced from the model Witnesses:

5 and dog, to project downwardly from the CHARLES WV. LOVETT, extreme end of the toe of the last. NELLIE A. RAPHAEL.

Gopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing" the Commissioner 01 liatents, Washington, D. G. 

